Construction of cooling units



JuJr-xev 29, 1943.

` l..` wElss .2,323,264

CONSTRUCTION 0F COOLING UNITIS' Filed NOV. 27, 194C Z 2z 20 f2 22' ff V Fl G5.' Flc-3.4.

INVENTOR.

, L .ouls WEISS BY v Patented June-29, 1943 tessuto FEB 20 i945 UNITED STATES. IwrENT oFFIcE CONSTRUCTION 0F COOLING UNITS v Louis Weiss, St. Louis, Mo. Application November 27, 1940, Serialv No.367,318

(C1. s2-a9) 6 Claims.

. providinga structurally more rigid evaporator The product of the present invention has been particularly designed for an improved and more uniform cooling of bottled products such as bottled beer or soft drinks, and also to enhance the accessibility of v chilled bottled products, in a cooling and dispensing' cabinet such as used by merchants, in soda fountains, taverns and thelike.

Although the invention is susceptible of embodi-l ment in other forms of cooling cabinet, it will for brevity be described by way of example, in reference to equipment of the class discussed.

A principal object of the invention is attained in an improved arrangement of piping for the circulation of a cooling medium in a beverage dispensing cabinet, whereby the chilled space within the cabinet is or may be substantially uniformly cooledl throughout its useful depth, and more uniformly cooled in all zones lengthwise of the refrigerated space.

Another object of the invention consists in an improved structural arrangement of evaporator piping or tubing, such that the evaporator itself, particularly the parts thereof, constitutes one or a series of conduits for the cooling medium, so.

arranged that the resulting evaporator construction constitutes a plurality of open-top cells or` partitioned spaces, each adapted, for example, for the reception of a case of bottles. i

Yet another object of the invention is attained in an improved -arrangement 'ol tubing' for the circulation of a cooling medium in a cabinet, such that the refrigerant traverses, preferably at least twice, the fulllength of the cabinet or space therein to be chilled, between 'the high and low pressure ends of the evaporator, in case the improvements are employed with a mechanical refrigeration system. l

A still further object of the invention attained is an improved structure of tubing for the circulation of Aa cooling medium such that the evaporator parts are maintained at substantially a uniform temperature throughout their depth, or otherwise expressedso that not only the tubing, but the area intervening it, is kept at substantially the same temperature in the different vertical cooling zones thereof.

Ancillary -to the foregoing object is that of construction of tube and plate type, such that certain plate elements are metallically united to the tubing and serve a novel structural purpose combined with the objective of augmenting the heat transfer area of the unit,` and yet such that Atheplate elements do not add appreciably to the overall s pace requirements of the tubing elements were the latter to be used alone.

The foregoing and numerous other objects will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred'embodiment of the invention, considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of a beveragecabinet, equipped in accordance with present improvements;Fig. 2 is a top or plan view, somewhat enlarged, of theevapo- `tor unit shown in the cabinet of Fig. 1; Fig. 3

is-van enlarged transverse section of the unit of Fig. 2, as viewed along line 3 3 thereof, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section of a portion of the cooling unit of Fig. 2, as viewed along lineI 4*-"4 thereof.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing,

although the exact form of the cabinet per se, is not material, it is preferredA for the specific purpose of design of the present improvements, that ,the cabinet consist of an upper housing portion, the end walls of whichV are indicated at I0, and the deck portion at I I, the space within the walls being cooled by the evaporator unit` hereinafter described. The cabinet illustrated is of open top type, access to the cooled space being afforded by slidable or otherwise displaceable top closures or doors I2. In the example shown, the walls I0 are ,extended downwardly in the portions Ia to form a lower compartment provided with a bottom I3, this compartment, for convenience of reference, being referred to as a mechanical compartment in which there is located a com- .pressor I5, a driving motor IB and a receiver-con-` denser unit II, all shown in dotted lines as being included herein only for completeness, these elements of the assembly forming of themselves, no part of the present invention.

There is disposed within the refrigerating compartment 20 of .the cabinet an evaporator indicated generally at 2| and the details of construction of which are more fully illustrated in Figs.` 2, 3 and 4, as will appear. Suitable connections (not shown in detail) are exemplified by the tube element 22 forming a connection from the recever-condenser assembly to the input orhigh pressure end of the evaporator, and a return conrigerated brine, for example, or other refrigerating liquid. In the present example,it is preferred to employ one or a plurality of lengths of reasonably flexible metallic tubing, yeach length being by further preference continuous, i. e. without joints within the'evaporator per se. The lengths of tubing are so formed up, as will later be explained in more detail, that in the finished cooling unit each thereof is for the most part of` horizontal trend, and such that the several lengths of tubing generally indicated at are laid up in spaced, parallel, superposed relation, as best appears from Figs. 3 and 4. The number of superposed lengths of tubing, shown as nine in the example selected, will depend obviously upon the desired depth of the open top cells desired for the bottled or other products to be cooled by the cabinet.

Proceeding to a description of the preferred shape of the tubes in horizontal plan, it is preferred, iirst, -that the arrangement of the tubing elements be of a generally sinuous form so that a.

the adjacent companion portions coact, in the manner suggested by Fig. '2, to constitute a plurality of the open top cells or spaces 26, each of these being, by further preference for economy of useful space required by the tubing, of generally rectangular outline as shown. 'Ihis is accomplished by bending each of the two series of the lengths of tubing to form portions 21 extending longitudinally of the cabinet, then through a relatively wide, right angle bend 28, each portion 21 is connected to an adjacent planar portion 30, the portions extending transversely 0f or across the cabinet. A similar wide bend `28 serves to connect the portion 30 to an adjacent longitudinal pass 3i, which lies alongside and close to the inner side Wall of the cabinet. This conformity is continued so as to produce a suitable number of the open top cells 26 the number thereof depending upon the length of cabinet space to be cooled by the evaporator.

At the end of the cabinet opposite the connection end, the zone adjacent the end wall of the cabinet is cooled by an end connecting portion or group thereof, of the tubing elements, indicated at 32.

From the arrangement asseen by Fig. 2, it will be understood as preferable that each of the open-top rectangular cells 26 is of a size sutilcient to contain and enclose a case,lpr'evalently 24 bottles, of bottled beverages such as beer, soft drinks or the like. These cells or compartments 26 may be referred to as full-case compartments, and due to the adjacent parallel passes 21 separating the neighboring cells 26 from each other, there are formed two intervening half-case cells, the space within each of which is enclosed on three sides by the tubing, and on the fourth side by the side wall of the cabinet, several of such half-case cells-being indicated at 33 (Fig. 2).

The connection end of the evaporator is preferably so constructed that the several lengths of tubing at this end are interconnected by U- shaped bends, and through the terminal bends the single high pressure and suction connections 22 and 23 serve the whole evaporator.

As thus far described, any suitable means for assembling and maintaining the spaced relation of the lengths ofl tubing of the evaporator may be employed. It is, however, a preference to utilize for the purpose of bridgingly connecting and maintaining in spaced relation the several horizontal lengths of tubing, a plurality of sheet metal bridge or plate elements indicated at 4l. The plate elements are each characterized by a plurality oi' spaced parallel channeled seats 4I, which are arcuate in transverse section, andfpreierably of a depth to engage snugly the tubing elements which seat or nest therein. The conformity of the seats is further such that-their arcs are formed on radii substantially equal -to the external curvature of the tubing. It is still a further preference that the tube seats or channels be presented all from the same face of the plate or bridge element, so that such element engages corresponding sides of the several superposed tubing elements of any given pass of the evaporator.

'I'he length of the plate or bridge pieces 40 is such that, when formed, they do not extend appreciably above or below the series of tubes transversely bridged thereby. The width of the plate elements is also such that the plate seats 4I engage each of the passes of tubing contiguous thereto, substantially over its planar portion, and traverse' the space between the widely bent portions 28 above referred to. As thus formed up, it will appear that with the plate or bridge elements closely in contact with the lengths of tubing as later more fully described, the intervening areas of the plate, being those partsindicated generally at 42, will serve materially to augment the useful area of the structure devoted toheat exchange, it being understood that the arrangement described is fully adapted either for a socalled Wet cooler` or dry cooler, or, by the addition of suitable partition means (not shown) may be utilized for the refrigeration of one or more wet compartments and concurrently one or more dry compartments.

The aforesaid function of the plate elements in augmenting radiation area is still further enhanced, according to preference, by a plurality of concavo-convex deformed areas 43 lying in and constituting the greater part of the area 42 intervening the superposed lengths of tubing. It is a preference thatthese be so formed in the bridge plates that their convex side is presented from the same side ofthe sheet metal element, as the concave orA channel seats 4i. Obviously, however, other forms and arrangements of the areas 43 may be utilized.

Although the present disclosure is not to be v i understood as restrictive of the 4length of the plates 40 or their height in assembly, it has been found to constitute a production economy, to utilize each such plate element in bridging engagement with say four of the superposed passes `of tubing. and to complete the structural bridge between such groups of four as by paired spaced holding or clamping elements 44, utilizing bolts or the like in connection vwith the plates.

There will now be describeda preferred method of forming up the tube and plate assembly in such manner that there results, substantially as shown, an arrangement in which the bridge plates are generally parallel to each pass of the tubing elements, it appearing from Figs. 3 and 4 that in` spite of the outstruck or instruck portions 4| and 43 eachplate lies substantially within the spaced parallel planes tangent to the opposite sides of the several corresponding lateral walls ofthe tubing, being the spaced planes tangent to such walls.

The bridging plates or fins such'as 40 are preferably of a metal of high thermal conductivity such as copper and are initially available in the form of sheet metal plates of suitable gauge. The plates are first cut to the desired areas,V following which they are press-formed to provide therein the channel seats 4I of approximately half circular section, and if desired, also the concavo-convex deformed portions' 43 for still further augmenting the radiating surface. The metal tubing is arranged in parallel' lengths, if necessary having previously been straightened, following which strip solder with a suitable flux is 'disposed in the channel seat portions of the plate. The several plates are arranged in a series lengthwise of and in engagement with the tubing elements, but-spaced from each other so .4

as to allow for the bare areas of the tubingv later resulting in the wide bends`28, hereinabove described. The plates and tubing are placed together and held in assembled relation in a press (not shown) of mechanical or hydraulic type, the

platens of which are provided with suitable heating apparatus. While heat and pressure are concurrently applied to the seating areas of the bridge and tubing elements, the solder is thoroughly melted and squeezed over the area of each n of the seats so as substantially uniformly to' bond the metal of the bridge plate to the wall portions of the adjacent tubing, the eiect of the pressure and heating step being such that no appreciable unsoldered areasremain in these zones. a short time under heat suflicient for the solder to attain the liquid state, the coil and plate are sprayed or submerged in water, with the effect .of suddenly freezing the solder and attaining a uniform and permanent connection between each of the 'plates' and the several tubes engaged thereby. After all of the plates are thus permanently secured to the tubing elements, the lengths of tubing are applied to a suitable bending jig or the like of such formV that the several superposed lengths' of'tubing are simultaneously bent on the same radius and in a manner to^pro duce the sinuous arrangement preferred, preferably the series of right angularly related passes of tubing, as illustrated.

As will have appeared from the drawing and foregoing description, it is seen'that the bridge platesconsume no otherwise useful space which, but for their presencer; ight be utilized f or cooling .and storage purposes. cent tubing elements is substantially about as illustrated, from which it results that no portion of the fin or bridge plate is at toogreat a distance from the refrigerant tubing to exhibit any discernible temperature difference between the plate and the coil proper. Thus while the greater-*portion of the coil is composed of secondary surface, the coil has substantially the sameefiiciency it would possess in case the totalV surfaceconsisted entirely of primarily radiation. A

The arrangement for augmenting effective ra; dlation is adaptable to many types of heat ex'- change apparatus, generally, although for convenience it is described presently in connection with a refrigerant-circulating unit, such as an evaporator. The sinuous arrangement of the lengths of tubing and formation thereof whereby the tubing traverses at least twice the full length of an elongate cabinet space to be cooled, has been found conducive to substantial uniformity of re- Af ter The spacing of adjain the arrangement of y`the article, all without walls of said cabinet.

3. 'A cooling and partitioning unit in combina.

frigeration at different zones of the chilled space, from end to end thereof, and thus definitely to cooperate with the novel fin or plate arrangement andl attachment which, by equalizing temperature between the lower and upper lengths of tubing, serves equally to chill, for example, a lower layer of bottles and an upper layer disposed thereon, with substantially equal cooling effect throughout the depth of the compartments dened by the tubing.

Although the invention has been described by making reference to a selected exemplary embodiment of the invention, the present detail of description is to be understood as illustrative and not in a limiting sensefsince many changes may be made in the steps of the method described and and'full'lintended scope'of the invention as 'defined by the claims hereunto appended.'

l claim as my invention: A

1. In combination with an elongate open top beverage cooling cabinet, a cooling unit within the cabinet, means for circulating a cooling medium through 'the unit, the unit consisting of a plurality of lengths of tubing, and bridge 1- ments maintaining said lengthsv of tubing in spaced parallel relation, the lengths ofv tubing being formed to present top-open cells of substantially rectangular form, the length of each cell'being substantially the width of the cooling chamber of the cabinet, said cells being spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width ofthe cells, the lengths of tubing between the cells constituting partitions arrangedone between other adjacent cells, and forming with the walls of the cabinet,'twosep' arate half-size cells intervening between alternating top-'open cells.

2. A combined coolerand compartmented bottle containerunit in combination with a rectangular open-top beverage cooling cabinet and a source of cooling fluid, the unit including a plurality of lengths of tubing for the cooling fluid, bridge plates secured to andserving to maintain the lengths of tubing spaced in parallel relation,- the lengths of tubing of the evaporator being' formed to provide a plurality of open-top compartments of a generally rectangular formyln plan, the length of each compartment being'substantially that hof the inside width of the cooling cabinet, said compartments being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to thefwidth of the compartments, and thelengths of tubing between the compartments constituting partitions between` separate smaller compartments, said smaller' compartments intervening'between the first mentioned compartments and formed in part by the tion with a rectangular, open-top beverage cooling cabinet and a source of' coolingfiuid, said unit including a plurality -of substantially parallel horizontal lengths of tubing, bridge plates secured to superposed portions of the several lengths of tubing' and serving 4to maintain them in spaced parallel relation and preformed shaping, the lengths of tubing being bent to constitute a bottle-enclosing'structure presenting a plurality of top-open bottle compartments of substan- .tially rectangular form, each compartment being of a length substantially the width of the cooling chamber of th cabinet with the compartments spaced apart a distance substantially that of the 4.uniform width of the several compartments. the

Y cooling cabinet, a combined nating top-open compartments aforesaid, the sev-v eral lengthsof tubing of the unit each having an inlet and outlet connection at the same end of the unit, whereby each of said lengths of tubing traverses at least twice the full length of the cabinet.

4. In combinationwith an open-top beverage cabinet partitioning structure within the cabinet, and means for circulating a refrigerant through the unit, the unit'including a plurality of spaced,

superposed, substantially parallel lengths of tubing, combined tubing supports and heat absorption plates bridging the correspondingportions of the lengths of tubing. and serving'to'maintain the shaping of and support the cooling unit independently of the side walls of the cabinet, the lengths of tubing being formed with a series of substantially equally spaced, approximately right angular bends, whereby to result in a plurality of open-top compartments of substantially rectangular form, the length of each compartment being substantially equal to the width of the cooling chamber of the cabinet, with the compartments spaced apart a distance substantially equal to` their width, the tubing of each of said compartments being connected to that of other compartments, by portions extended along a longitudinal median plane of the cooling cabinet, the last said portions constituting partitions between adjacent compartments, serving to form with the walls of the cabinet, pairs of half-size compartments intervening those first aforesaid.

5. In an open-top beverage cooling cabinet, a

' port of the tubing and cooling unit from the floor cooling unit and y aaaaaoa 1 een width, the whine or the eens being continued therebetween. to form a partition serving with the cabinet walls to constitute fragmentarycells vintervening those aforesaid, a plurality of metal plates, metallically united to the lengths of tubing, serving to maintain them in predetermined vertically spaced relation and arranged for supportion of the cooling cabinet independently of support by the walls thereof, a plurality of said plates being characterized by outstruck portions formed between the tubing elements, said outstruck portions serving to augment the rigidity of the plates in supporting the tubing and serving to augment the heat exchange area of the plates.

6. In combination with an open-top beverage cooling cabinet, a cooling unit in the cabinet, means for circulating a refrigerant through the unit, the unit consisting of a plurality of lengths of tubing characterized by a series of spaced, substantially right angular bends so spaced along the tubing that, in assembly in 'the cabinet, the lengths of tubing constitute an enclosure presenting a plurality of spaced, open-top, rectangular compartments, each substantially the width of the cabinet interior, the tubing elements being further so formed that said compartments are spaced apart a distance approximating the width of the several compartments, and the tubing being extended between and connecting with the tubing of the adjacent compartments and provide partitions arranged one intermediate the cabinet walls, and forming therewith two halfsize compartments intervening between the alternating top-open compartments, plate elements serving to maintain the lengths of tubing in cooling unit within the cabinet, means for circullating a refrigerant through the unit, the unit being constituted of a plurality of lengths of metal tubingiormed to present a plurality of top-open cells of substantially rectangular form and substantially the width of the cooling chamber of the cabinet, with adjacent cells spaced from each other a distance approximating the Y spaced relation, each of said plate elements being formed to provide a plurality of parallel, part cylindrical recesses therein, adapted to receive and partly embrace the several lengths of tubing,

and a metallic uniting material in, and substantially coextensive in area with each of said recesses, whereby structurally to unite the lengths of tubing and the plate elements to maintain their assembled relation and to assure an in timate thermal exchange relation between the lengths of tubing and the plate elements. v

. LOUIS WEISS. 

